


King and Queen of the 'Neath-lands

by Alexeigynaix (EllieMurasaki), AlexSeanchai (EllieMurasaki)



Category: Hellenistic Religion & Lore, Hymn to Demeter - Homer, Theogony - Hesiod
Genre: Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Because #yuletide, F/M, Heroic Crown of Sonnets, Sonnets, YES THIS POET IS OUT OF THEIR MIND, crown of sonnets, why do you ask
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-09
Updated: 2017-04-09
Packaged: 2018-10-16 17:38:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10576191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllieMurasaki/pseuds/Alexeigynaix, https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllieMurasaki/pseuds/AlexSeanchai
Summary: Sing, Muses, how the Gods first came to be,each child of Earth and starry Heaven bright.First Khaos, then the Earth. From Khaos, Night;from Earth, Her equal, Heaven: He sired Sea...





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Apricot](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Apricot/gifts).



> FRAMLINGEM THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT. :P
> 
>  _Kharis_ is essentially the bargain between Gods and mortals: the Latin phrase is _do ut des_ , "I give that you may give". Reciprocity, in other words: mortals make offerings to Gods and request blessings in return, and Gods give blessings to mortals and require offerings in return.

1  
Sing, Muses, how the Gods first came to be,  
each child of Earth and starry Heaven bright.  
First Khaos, then the Earth. From Khaos, Night;  
from Earth, Her equal, Heaven: He sired Sea,  
and other Straining-Gods, with Kronos, key  
later. Earth bore Hundred-Handers, Giants' might  
that Heaven feared. He locked them from the light  
within Earth's lands. Kronos, setting free  
(together with His brothers) Mother Earth,  
held Heaven by four limbs and by the balls,  
which Kronos severed with a flint-knapped knife.  
These fell to Ocean—Aphrodite's birth.  
Ash-trees sprang up with every blood drop's fall.  
Thus Heaven ceased to tyrannize His wife.

2  
Thus Heaven ceased to tyrannize His wife,  
but Kronos, now sky-ruler, Rhea took  
for His own lady. Rhea bore six—look:  
Hestia warm, Demeter of green life,  
and Hera bright; Persephone the dark,  
and fifth Poseidon too was swallowed whole  
as Kronos had His sisters—father’s goal:  
that none His seed would next revolt to spark.  
But Rhea spoke to Earth and Heaven; She,  
on Their advice, to Kronos gave a stone  
She’d wrapped as though a newborn babe, and He  
at once, unknowing, swallowed it: His throne,  
He thought, was safe. But Zeus His son was free:  
And history rhyming: Kronos overthrown.

3  
And history rhyming: Kronos overthrown  
spat back the Gods He’d swallowed to avoid  
this very thing. Hestia last—full grown,  
for She’d been first—by Fire was employed.  
Demeter chose Earth for Her realm, and Air  
was Hera’s choice. The black and gloomy ‘Neath-  
land was Persephone’s desire. And there,  
Poseidon chose the Water, which bequeathed  
the best for last and victor: Zeus, pleased, chose  
the Aither. Thus, the realms divided by  
their rulers, Zeus with Metis—She Who Knows—  
Athena sired; and on Olympos high,  
so many mothered Gods by Zeus: the height  
Olympos ruled all Hellas: Zeus’s might.

4  
Olympos ruled all Hellas: Zeus’s might  
Persephone avoided in the ‘Neath-  
lands’ gloom. On Nysa’s plain, She saw a bright  
young God, Ephebe, weave a flower wreath:  
Ephebe, Zeus’s son, Demeter’s too.  
For His part, this young God saw Her, so strong,  
and would He had the courage Her to woo!  
Persephone, afar, heard His birds’ song,  
and willed that He might love Her fiercely. That  
He wished the same, She did not know, nor He  
that great Persephone loved Him. A plait  
of daffodils He wove Her; She’d see?  
Persephone Her sister knew: a spat  
would win Demeter’s wrath—Her son, not free.

5  
To win Demeter’s wrath—Her son (not free),  
Persephone, and Father Zeus conspired.  
Demeter knowing needed not to be.  
Ephebe’s freedom, wedded bliss desired:  
Demeter—many strictures She required.  
Persephone could let Him be His own.  
Zeus granted leave; His sister He admired,  
His son He loved—They would not be alone,  
together They’d sit on the ‘Neath-lands’ throne.  
And Earth grew daffodils to tempt Him down,  
to draw Ephebe from Demeter: lone  
was He: the earth broke forth: He ran. Her crown  
gold caught the light: He shrieked a word of strife:  
Demeter’s son thus vanished from this life.

6  
Demeter’s son thus vanished from this life.  
Hekate heard, and Helios, His shriek.  
But Nysa’s plain had closed again: no knife  
could open up that pathway to the bleak  
Beneath. Nine days Demeter wandered: seek  
Her son Ephebe: where could He have gone?  
No one had seen, no one a word could speak,  
until Hekate came at the tenth dawn.  
“I fear Your son Persephone’s own pawn,”  
Hekate said, and told Her what She’d seen  
with magic arts: the chariot was drawn  
by steeds of black, who took Him from the green.  
Demeter mourned: if only She had known  
Persephone had willed Him for Her own.

7  
Persephone had willed Him for Her own.  
Ephebe chose: Her husband He would be.  
He wore a golden, garnet-studded crown  
and planted there a pomegranate tree:  
They had, of course, consulted Earth, Who’d shown  
Them all that would come of this fervent plea.  
Persephone lit torches: firelight  
illuminated all the underground.  
No more His mother need Ephebe flee:  
Her caged-bird son, wings spread, had too far flown.  
What then? Who, as a man, was He to be?  
The God of Flowers chose to be renowned:  
“My name is Haides,” said He on wedding night.

8  
“My name is Haides,” said He on wedding night.  
Of this Demeter, weeping, nothing knew.  
Eleusis met Her as a lonely crone;  
they hired Her as nurse to their young prince.  
Iambe made Her laugh; wine She refused;  
of these the Mysteries would later speak.  
Demeter gave them kykeon, a key  
to sacred rites conferring bliss in death.  
Perhaps She knew, yes, even then, how this  
would end—She acted as though She knew not.  
Eleusis built a temple: Her command.  
She wandered on. Across the earth She went,  
snow following in summer: winter, parched.  
No wheat grew, nor the barley: not one grain.

9  
No wheat grew, nor the barley: not one grain.  
Her son was gone: no comfort she would take.  
But Hera knew—did not Her sister tell—  
what had become of green Demeter’s son.  
Better, Hera thought—as Zeus’s wife,  
Ephebe’s mere existence was betrayal  
of Zeus’s wedding vows!—that Zeus should feel  
the wrath Demeter would pour out on all  
who knew of this and did not tell to Her  
at once and all They knew. And Hera would  
not ever let on that She had found out.  
Persephone and Zeus would bear all blame,  
and Hera had Her jealousy to tend.  
Demeter mourned; the earth refused to sprout.

10  
Demeter mourned; the earth refused to sprout.

Zeus tried to tempt Her with bright gifts: gold, jewels— / but what She wanted, He could not provide. / Her son back home! What else could She desire?

And so continued on the snow and drought.

The mortal folk could only think Gods fools, / for where, in prayer and offering, was up-side / to doing pious things as Gods require?

Some mortal folk began _kharis_ to flout.

The Gods took note of which ones broke the rules, / which not, and which ones, hungry, simply died. / “That will not do,” said Zeus; “Hermes, inquire: / Persephone, Your husband must return. / Demeter must relent before all burn.”

11  
“Demeter must relent before all burn.”

Hermes gave Haides this command, and then Persephone said to Them both: “The Fates decreed that they who eat the food of ‘Neath-lands must forever after Lit-lands spurn.”

And Haides said, “Hermes, I won’t again bear life when bound by My dear mother’s straits.”

The pomegranate seeds stained red His teeth.

“What happens after Your return is not a thing that I can say,” Hermes told Him. “Great Zeus bade Me to bring You home: the rain must fall. I won’t get in between—too fraught!”

And Haides laughed, and said that He, though grim—

Thus Haides chose return from where He reigned.

12  
Thus Haides chose return from where He reigned.

“No one but I,” He said, “should take the blame for what has come to pass since first I saw Persephone in darkness and in light. For She is Glory, she is Strength, and I was nothing but a florist till She came.”

Hermes told to Demeter and to Zeus the pomegranate seeds, the Fates’ decree.

“Wise Mother, please,” said Haides to Demeter, “let the wheat and barley grow. The men and women mortal born deserve no less. Our rulership grows faster day by day than truly We have any right to rule. Corn Mother, I beg You to end the drought.”

13  
“Corn Mother, I beg You to end the drought.”

“You mean then to return to Her,” said She Whose power held the cereals in thrall, no grain to grow till She, relentless, pleased.

“I _am_ Her husband, She my wife. Hear out My plan.” And Haides smiled. “You may see Me any time You will: eat not at all while You’re within Our halls, or You’ll be seized as surely by the Fates’ decree as I.”

“A bargain,” Mother Rhea said to Them. “How many pomegranate seeds, grandchild, did You eat in the ‘Neath, condemning then Yourself to Her, as You’d discerned?”

“Six seeds I ate.”

“Six months Beneath return.”

14  
“Six seeds I ate.” “Six months Beneath return,  
Six months above to keep the company  
of Your own mother, that She may concern  
Herself with mortal folk. Accompany  
Her on her journeys to Eleusis, where  
Demeter’s Mysteries have come to fruit.  
Persephone, Demeter, Haides, there  
You’ll find Greek-speaking mortal folk impute  
great things to You three Gods, of death, rebirth,  
of bliss in afterlives in the ‘Neath-lands,  
and of the grains and fruits that grow from earth.”  
Thus spoke great Zeus with justice His commands.  
Thus half the year Haides above; half, free.  
Sing, Muses, how the Gods first came to be.

M  
Sing, Muses, how the Gods first came to be,  
How Heaven ceased to tyrannize His wife,  
And history rhyming: Kronos overthrown.  
Olympos ruled all Hellas: Zeus’s might  
would win Demeter’s wrath—Her son, not free.  
Demeter’s son thus vanished from this life.  
Persephone had willed Him for Her own.  
“My name is Haides,” said He on wedding night.  
No wheat grew, nor the barley: not one grain.  
Demeter mourned; the earth refused to sprout.  
Demeter must relent before all burn.  
Thus Haides chose return from where He reigned.  
“Corn Mother, I beg You to end the drought.”  
“Six seeds I ate.” “Six months Beneath return.”


End file.
